Kolkata Knight Riders will be keen for their spin team to rediscover their form in the two-match series against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday.
The game kicked off a crucial sprint for KKR, with three games played in seven days before a long break due to the Assembly polls. With four away games remaining, it will be crucial to build momentum at the Eden Park – where they have won 54 of their 95 games.
KKR’s campaign was hampered by a weakening bowling unit. Injuries to Harshit Rana and Akash Deep, the absence of Matheesha Pathirana and the limited role of Cameron Green reduce their depth. However, the bigger issue is spin, with Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy performing poorly in the opener.
SRH are in a similar situation after losing to Royal Challengers Bangalore. Despite a strong order, their bowling looked fragile without Pat Cummins, which put extra pressure on both departments to deliver.
Five players to watch out for in KKR vs SRH
Abhishek Sharma(SRH)
The world’s number one batsman has been going through a tough time since the start of the 2026 T20 World Cup and it continues to do so in the 2026 IPL as well. Despite India’s victory, Abhishek came under intense scrutiny for his dismal performance of 52 in the final. In the first match of the new IPL season, the left-hander failed to get going at the start, conceding 7 out of 8 balls. SRH scored 201 runs but RCB equaled it in just 15.4 overs. The explosive batsman will be looking to turn his fortunes around against KKR at the Eden Gardens. The 25-year-old is now in his eighth season with SRH and the team will be hoping for another 400-plus season from their star batsman after achieving similar results in the past two seasons.
Varun Chakravarty(KKR)
Varun Chakravarthy, the X-factor in India’s T20I bowling, also had a below-par performance in the T20 World Cup, even though he shared the highest wickets with teammate Jasprit Bumrah. Most of his wickets came in the early stages of the game and his performance in must-win games was not up to par. Now, he is under the spotlight again in IPL 2026, with the top-order KKR spinner returning with a dismal 0 for 48 in the high-scoring opener against MI in the Wankhede. Varun has performed well for KKR for the third consecutive season and the team will once again be counting on him to provide a crucial breakthrough in the first home game.
Ishan Kishan(SRH)
Ishan Kishan has been the talk of the town in recent months. Ishan was one of the stars of India’s T20 World Cup victory and now leads SRH in the absence of regular captain Pat Cummins. Continuing his rich performance in the World Cup, he started IPL 2026 with a tenacious performance of 80 off 38 balls against RCB. Even though his team was comprehensively beaten, Ishan was still a force to be reckoned with. He will be looking for another big hit against KKR at the Eden Gardens.
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Aniket Verma(SRH)
Young middle-order batsman Aniket Verma showcased his powerful batting in SRH’s season opener against RCB. The 24-year-old hit four sixes and three fours in the closing seconds of his 18-ball 43 to take SRH into a competitive 201/9 season. While the total proved insufficient, Aniket’s power play drew attention. The youngster will be targeting another strong season after a stellar first season last year.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi(KKR)
The young wicketkeeper-batsman was brilliant in KKR’s opener, smashing 51 off 29 balls against MI. KKR were priced at 220/4 in the Wankhede but were easily chased. The 21-year-old will be looking for another exciting game at home this time. In his third season with KKR, Raghuvanshi is aiming for a breakthrough year.
Also Read: IPL Live Scores